LHB23  City Hospital

Collection Summary

Reference Code: GB239 LHB23
Title: City Hospital
Dates of Creation of Material: 1887-1994
Level of Description: Fonds
Extent and Medium of the Unit of Description: 11.5 shelf metres: bound volumes, papers, photographic material


Name of creator(s): City Hospital
Administrative History: The origin of the hospital lies in Edinburgh Town Council's use of Canongate Poorhouse for epidemic infectious diseases from 1871. Local authorities in Scotland were required to make such provision under the terms of the Public Health (Scotland) Act of 1867. Around this time the Royal Infirmary refused to admit cases of smallpox and cholera and further emergency accommodation was arranged it part of the City Poorhouse at Forrest Road. When the Infirmary moved to Lauriston Place in 1879, the Town Council acquired the Infirmary's old buildings in the High School Yards area. Under the control of Sir Henry Littlejohn, the City Medical Officer of Health, this became known as the City Fever Hospital. In 1903 it moved to a new site at Colinton Mains and became know as the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases. In 1948 the City Hospital became part of the Board of Management of the Royal Victoria and Associated Hospitals. In 1974 it was part of the South Lothian District of Lothian Health Board. After 1984 it was part of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh & Associated Hospitals Unit and subsequently the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh National Health Service Trust Hospital. From 1997, most of the hospital services were transferred from the City to other hospitals in the area following ongoing restructuring programmes. The hospital finally closed in March 2002.
Archival History: Records held within the National Health Service prior to transfer
Immediate Source of Acquisition or Transfer: Medical Records Officer, City Hospital, November 1983


Scope and Content: Administration 1887-1994; nursing 1889-1993; patients (bound and unbound records) 1894-1990
Accruals: No further accessions are expected
System of Arrangement: Chronological within record class


Conditions Governing Access: Public access to these records is governed by UK data protection legislation, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, and the current Scottish Government Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (Scotland).
Conditions Governing Reproduction: Reproduction is subject to closure periods and physical condition
Language/Scripts of Material: English

Related Units of Description:
Edinburgh Royal Victoria and Associated Hospitals Board of Management (LHB10)
Joe, Alexander, medical practitioner (GD1/94)
Leitch, Jean Walker, nurse (GD1/92)
Penicillin, wartime distribution to civilians GD1/74)
Public Health Depatment of the City of Edinburgh (LHB16)
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (LHB1)
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Samaritan Society (GD2)
Samuel, Catherine Bruce, nurse (GD1/46)
Shepherd, A., nurse (GD1/80)
South Lothian District, Lothian Health Board (LHB28)
Publication Note:
Gray, James A. The Edinburgh City Hospital Tuckwell Press, 2000


Archivists' Notes: Compiled by Mike Barfoot and Jenny McDermott using existing handlists
Rules or Conventions: Description based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description International Council on Archives (2nd edition), 2000
Date(s) of Description: May 2000; last updated August 2009.